


What's Your Ranking?

by chamomilebottom



Category: Sand Castle (2017)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-15
Updated: 2020-05-20
Packaged: 2021-03-03 01:40:05
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,094
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24196831
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chamomilebottom/pseuds/chamomilebottom
Summary: PAIRING: CAPTAIN SYVERSON X OFC BETHANY MILLERA fanfiction inspired by the movie Sand Castle.Synopsis: Private Bethany Miller has made herself at home in her new base, Baghdad for the last two months- arguably too comfortable, as she's developed a less than professional relationship with another Private. She is serving in the Reconnaissance Team whilst training towards a higher rank. During this time, Capt. Syverson has been on three months home leave, but returns to more of a handful than he expected.
Relationships: Captain Syverson (Sand Castle)/Original Female Character(s), Captain Syverson (Sand Castle)/Reader, Henry Cavill/Original Female Character(s), Henry Cavill/Reader, Henry Cavill/You
Comments: 3
Kudos: 30





	1. Part 1

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: Hey guys! First off I just wanna make it clear I know absolutely nothing about the us army and everything it entails!! So, I have tried my best to research and put it into a story in a way that makes sense! Please correct me if you see any inaccuracies! Secondly thank you for taking the time to read my first fic, any feedback would be amazing!
> 
> Enjoy!

Another day, another mundane meal.

Bethany Miller chewed down the beef stew that sat in front of her in a less than enthusiastic manner. She stared intently at the cold meat, fumbling with the bread bun that had been offered to her ever so generously by Private Donovan. Eating was a chore when the meals rotated every 3 days.

"I already ate my serving" she'd protested, furrowing her brow.

"You need the extra calories." he'd teased, poking her in the ribs. "We need more meat on ya, every time I look at you I'm scared someone will break you out on the field" he laughed, imitating breaking a stick with his hands while coinciding his movements with a snapping sound from his mouth.

She frowned in response, dropping the bread from her fingers to cross her arms over her chest, leaving it to hit the table with a light thud. 

"Easy Donovan, don't go acting so concerned about me. You've not caught feelings, right? I thought we were just screwing around." she teased back, taking note of the way his left brow quivered at her words. 

"Hey, keep your fucking voice down. Coetzee is only 20 feet away, he might be leaving duty tomorrow, but if he hears you, he'll beat both our asses." Donovan cleared his throat and looked over his shoulder sharply before turning back to Miller. 

She rolled her eyes in faux annoyance, a small smirk at her lips. "Oh, come on Donovan, I highly doubt Captain Coetzee would give a fuck on his last day of active duty. Chill, he didn’t hear me anyway." 

Donovan took another peak over his shoulder to check that, sure enough, Captain Coetzee was far too busy having an in-depth conversation with two privates by the water stand to have heard you both. 

"Yeah well, you're gonna have to be a hell of a lot more discreet when Captain Syverson takes over his duties again." 

Miller narrowed her eyes at him with a disbelieving smile on her face.

"I'm serious. You've only been here two months, Captain's returning from his three months leave. You've got off lightly with Coetzee. Word is, Syverson's back on base already. " Donovan explained, brushing his hand over his shaved hair before taking another forkful of stew into his mouth. 

"I doubt he's any stricter than the asshole that was running my old base. I'm sure I can handle him." she sighed, with a dismissive wave of her hand, wanting to get off this topic now. 

Talking about it made it more than it was.

Miller picked up the bread again, picking it apart to keep her hands busy in a failed attempt not to dwell on the way Donavan had ignored her question beforehand. 

It wasn't a problem for her- just a no strings attached way to let off steam. It's not that Donovan wasn't her type, she could appreciate his attractiveness- but to her he was just a willing participant who didn't mind taking the risk of breaking the rules. And Miller certainly wasn’t stupid, she was more than aware that it had become more to Private Donovan. It became increasingly apparent when he started joining her for meal times, or asking if she needed a spot at the gym. If those actions weren't clue enough, the way his brow twitched as if to outwardly show the way his heart lurched at her words was a sure enough sign. 

After a few moments of silence, Miller pushed her tray of food forward, done with the meal and the awkwardness that was left in the quiet between them. "So, I was thinking, what with Captain Syverson returning. Maybe we should... I dunno, lay low for a few weeks?" she spoke slowly, conscious of trying to let him down gently.

Donovan swallowed his food hard, pushing his tray away too. His face was composed but there was something in his eyes that let his facade slip. 

"What, like not hang out on base so no one gets suspicious?" he blurted, avoiding eye contact and instead choosing to focus on the tags around her neck. 

Miller sighed, sensing a gentle let down wasn’t going to be so easy. 

"I was thinking more in the sense of... no sneaking into closets or the showers when no one's around" she corrected, a slight grimace on her face as she waited for him to have a negative reaction. His face dropped almost instantly but he rebuilt his composure pretty quickly.

"Ah, okay. I mean I guess it makes sense. Syverson would probably make me eat my own balls for touching any of the women here if he knew. Like I said he's not as easy to get by as Coetzee. He’s smart." Donovan tried to reason but it sounded more like he was reasoning with himself. 

He stood up, placing his cap on his head with a sharp tug. "I'll see you around Beth." he waved with a nod before slowly trudging away with his hands in his pockets.

Miller took in a deep breath, holding it for longer than necessary before exhaling sharply as she slumped onto the table in front of her. She always hated when he called her Beth, it made it too personal. 

"Finally told Donovan you don’t wanna play husband and wife?" a voice came from behind her before Private Watts joined her on the bench, making the table budge with her forceful entrance. 

Miller laughed, greeting her bunk buddy with a half-hearted grin. "Was it that obvious?" she grimaced looking in the direction that Donovan had disappeared. 

"Oh I only heard his heart breaking from 3 tables behind" Watts giggled, tapping Miller on the shoulder with her fist playfully, who was now holding her head in her hands.

"I'm just glad I finally found a good enough excuse, apparently Syverson is a sucker for the rules around here being fully enforced" she explained, lifting her face up to look at Watts.

"Oh shit you've not met Captain yet? Girl you're gonna wish you still had a sexual outlet because that man is fucking fine." she slapped her thigh hard on that last word before letting out a suggestive sigh. "But yeah he runs a tight ship here. Everyone here has crazy levels of respect for him, he would hang you both out to dry if he found out what you'd been doing" Watts laughed shaking her head.

"Well then, it's a good thing there's nothing going on anymore" Millar hissed jabbing Watts in the ribs with her elbow, who let out a yelp before they both stood up stifling their laughter.

"Come on, we gotta be at the training ground in 10 minutes"

°°°°°°°

Physical training was always Miller's least favourite part of the day. Being on active duty was where she thrived, where her small stature and sly movements served her perfectly in the Reconnaissance Team. Although only a private, the job made her feel like a valued asset; responsible for being aware of the enemy and danger before anyone else. Long range patrol was her favourite type of mission. Being deep in enemy territory before they could even fathom that she was there, plotting their every move as they lie blissfully unaware.

Alas, her dreams of a higher ranking someday required work, and a lot of it. All soldiers on base hated circuit training, it made everyone feel like they were back at square one. A reminder of boot camp on American soil. 

_Well, Captain Coetzee has seemingly decided to use his last day leading training to be an utter asshole_ Miller thought to herself after her final lap of the base. On an average day, half the soldiers would do 20 laps while the other half were doing Calisthenics. Today he'd upped it to 30 laps, then barked orders to switch.

Annoyingly, Donovan had been put on the same side as her, who was currently squatting Private Hughes, stealing glances at her every so often and failing miserably at looking away in an uninterested manner whenever she caught him. Hughes happened to be her closest friend on base and was very obviously aware of what had happened judging by the smirks he was sending her way as she rolled her eyes at Donovan's behaviour.

Miller partnered up with Watts, grabbing her arms tightly as she climbed on to her back, wrapping her legs around her waist tightly before Miller began her first set of squats. Out of the 70 soldiers currently on base, only 6 were women so whenever the group was split off, the women were always all on one side. Logically it made sense, but that didn’t stop it pissing Miller off every time her ability was questioned just for being female. Sometimes she wanted to break code and squat one of the men out of spite, or to prove a point. Her competitive nature was sometimes her downfall.

"ROTATE!" barked Coetzee, signalling for them to move around the circuit, his blunt tone screaming that they better hurry. 

"You'd think he'd ease off on his last fucking day" Miller hummed lowly to Watts as they both walked over to the chin up bars watching Coetzee wander off elsewhere to observe the runners. 

"And miss out on a day of inflicting misery?" Hughes responded having overheard. 

Miller let out a laugh before chalking up her palms. "I'm gonna beat you this time" she smirked, jumping up and pulling her chin above the bar.

Private Hughes threw his head back and roared with laughter before looking her in the face with a blank and fierce expression. "I'll beat you, no chalk." he asserted, jumping up and beginning his set.

Watts joined them, lasting 67 reps before tapping out. "It's too damn hot for this shit" she cursed, wiping her brow of sweat before applying more chalk to her hands after a moments rest. 

Both Miller and Hughes were still going, but a distant shout of "ROTATE" interrupted their battle of will, causing Miller to jump down from her set.

She looked up at Hughes in annoyance who kept going despite the order to rotate, a smug grin on his sweaty face. "Asshole" she muttered, hearing him laugh before also jumping down.

"I'd say I got 10 more than you there Miller, do better" he joked, thoroughly enjoying his win however unfair it had been.

"Doesn't count, you cheated" Miller grunted as she started her press-ups, Hughes in line next to her doing the same.

"Let me guess, you're gonna out do me on press-ups now?" he sighed, knowing full well this was his strong point.

As much as Miller loved her friend, he was starting to piss her off by outdoing her. "Fuck you" she growled, raising with her next press-up to reach an arm out to buckle his elbow, causing him to lose his stand and fall to his chest, dust and sand flying up around him as he grunted.

He gave her an evil grin, trying to regain composure. "You little fu-"

"PRIVATE. On your feet, NOW!" an unfamiliar booming voice interrupted Hughes as they both looked up to see where the yell had come from.

"Shit" Hughes whispered lowly enough that only Miller could hear. "Syverson."

_Fuck_.

"Did I stutter, soldier? On your feet, now." his voice was low and composed now, but was laced with an undertone that was threatening. 

Miller felt her heart practically drop from her chest to the floor as it began to thud against her ribcage in suspense. She came to her feet quickly, dusting her sandy palms off on her pants before standing to attention. Her face was flushed, both from the workout in the intense heat, but also the embarrassment of her unprofessional behaviour being caught red handed.

"Sir, yes sir" she tried to project her voice but it fell flat, coming out much quieter than she intended. The sheer size of this man was enough to be intimidating, his shoulders broad and strong. His sharp blue eyes narrowed at her response, not loud enough to portray the level of respect his presence demanded.

"I can’t hear you, Private" he pressed, arms crossing over his bulky chest, only emphasising his size.

"Sir, yes sir!" she asserted, louder this time and straightening her posture as much as was physically possible. 

Syverson took a few slow steps forward until he was a pace away from her. "What the hell was that behaviour, soldier?" he demanded, brow creased to portray his disapproval.

"Unacceptable, sir!" Miller called, eyes straight ahead.

Hughes lifted himself off the ground, ending his set of push-ups. "Captain, it was my fault, I was messing arou-"

"What's your ranking Hughes?" Syverson snarled, eyes snapping over to Hughes.

"Private, sir!" he responded, standing upright to attention.

"Don't make me remind you again, back to your training" he ordered, dismissing him and refocusing his gaze on Miller.

"Sir, yes sir!" 

Syverson took in a deep breath through his nose. "I've not seen your face before. You don't know me yet soldier, but you will. If I ever see you pull this shit again, you'll be scrubbing every soldiers’ boots on base with your toothbrush for a month." 

Miller felt her heart continue to thump, the heat of the sun suddenly feeling more intense under the scrutiny of the Captain. 

With a sigh, Syverson let his arms fall back to his sides. "At ease. Hit the showers, Private, then report to your quarters until further notice. Your training's over for today." 

"Sir, yes sir" Miller acknowledged her orders giving a final salute before walking towards the shower room. As she passed Syverson he grabbed her arm to stop her.

"Your name, Private?" he asked in a low tone.

"Miller, Sir." she informed him, her eyes looking at his for the first time. 

"We will continue this conversation later, Miller. Showers. Quarters. Now." he instructed, releasing the grip on her arm.

Miller continued on her path indoors, feeling her eyes prick with tears. She bit them back, shaking her head to gather herself. She was a tough girl, could handle the brutality that came with serving in the army. She wasn’t afraid of authority and being yelled at. But there was something about her first encounter with her new Captain beginning on such a bad note that shattered her heart. Miller adored her service, and fucking up on day one with Syverson hit her hard.

_Get it together, Beth s_ he told herself, hoping an excruciatingly cold shower would snap her out of it.


	2. Confined Spaces

Miller sat on the bottom bunk of her shared room with Private Watts, idly twiddling her thumbs. 

She'd showered, changed into fresh clothes and laced up her boots which she had spent the past 10 minutes cleaning. Her damp, long brown hair had also been slicked back into a tight bun. Every inch of the room was spotless. It'd been an hour since she had been dismissed by Syverson.

Still under strict instruction not to leave her quarters until further notice, Miller had made sure the entire space was tidy. Well, as tidy as a sandy old bunk house could be. Judging by the clean boots, organised room and the way her hair had been styled _extra_ neatly, she was trying her hardest not to give herself any room for more reprimand from Captain Moody.

  
Footsteps outside her door snapped her out of the daydream she'd unknowingly found herself in. Standing up and straightening her t-shirt, she faced the door nervously. 

"Knock-knock" voiced Donovan as he sheepishly edged his face around the door.

Miller let out an irritated sigh, letting her posture slump as she realised it wasn't Syverson coming to greet her.

"D, what are you doing here?" she asked, trying to keep the annoyance out of her tone.

He stepped into the room, holding his cap between his hands while looking at the sandy floor like an impish schoolboy.

"I- uh. I just wanted to check you were okay, Miller. I couldn't help but see your first introduction with Sy didn't go so well." he gave her a sympathetic smirk, finally meeting her eye.

Miller rolled her eyes, cursing mentally. "Yeah, okay Donavan, thank you. I'm fully aware that I fucked up in front of the entire base, now was that all or did you bring some salt to rub in my wounds too?" she spat, sitting back on her bunk, fiddling with her boot laces as a distraction and also to subside the embarrassment from her outburst.

Donavan’s grip on his cap tightened as he hesitated to step forward, pulling his foot back when thinking it better not to. "Beth, I- I'm sorry I didn't mean to piss you off I just- care-"

"D, stop. We already talked about this! Syverson is all over my ass after today, so if this between us wasn’t already over, it definitely fucking is now, okay? Please just go, before the Captain shows up and you give him even more fuel to make my life a misery." Miller was back on her feet, arms flailing as she let her temper flare.

"For fuck sake Beth, we haven't talked about this properly-" Donovan started but looked sharply over his right shoulder before shutting his mouth tightly. He took a step to the left making way for Syverson to enter the room.

"Captain" both Donavan and Miller chimed in unison.

"Is there a problem here soldiers?" his voice filled the room, the deep notes to his authoritative tone bouncing off the walls. 

"No sir, Private Donovan was just leaving" Miller said flatly, eyes boring into his sad brown hues.

Donovan gave her a hurt look that screamed _Are you seriously doing this?_

He sighed, clearly defeated. "Yes Sir, I was." he confirmed, pulling his gaze away from Miller and facing his Captain.

Syverson crossed his arms, a slow intake of breath through his nose making it obvious to everyone in the room that he was sceptical of the situation. "Donovan, your presence in the food hall was scheduled 10 minutes ago, don’t make a habit of being in the wrong place. On your way" he dismissed, choosing to ignore the tension in the room between the two.

"Of course, Captain. My apologies." he nodded his head, ducking out of the room at a quick pace, not bothering to steal one last glance at Miller as he usually would.

Syverson stood in the doorway, his head tilted as he listened for the footsteps down the corridor to fade. After what felt like an eternity of stressed silence, he finally turned his face to peer at Miller. 

She stood still, chest heaving lightly as she tried to calm herself down. She was in an irritable mood now, desperately trying to compose herself before she fucked up further with the Captain. 

He noted the way her chest was rising and falling in an uneven pattern, her hands slightly shaking, causing him to quirk his brow into a half frown. 

"Donovan been bothering you much?" Syverson finally spoke, gesturing with his thumb to the door as he noticed Miller's uneasy stance. "It wouldn't be the first time he has been deemed as quite the pest."

"I can handle Donovan, sir" she reassured, composing her voice in order to act indifferent.

Syverson let out a low laugh, but his face remained without humour as he took a step further into the room. "I don't doubt that. I've heard plenty from Hughes this past hour about you, he's been trying to get you out of my bad books." 

Miller let a small smile form at the corner of her lips as she thought of her friend trying although failing to save her skin earlier. "I'm sorry again for my behaviour, Captain." 

Silence washed over the room again as Syverson thought carefully how to proceed, causing his lips to press into a hard line. "I wouldn't say you're off the hook yet, Miller. But I'd say it's a lesson learned for now." 

Miller let out a relieved sigh, her shoulders slouching momentarily before correcting her stance. 

"I will be keeping a close eye on you though, Private." he spoke firmly, avoiding eye contact, giving Miller free reign to glance over his face. His brows knitted together, as though he was battling something with himself.

"Yes, sir" Miller responded.

"I didn't get chance to introduce myself, my apologies Private. The name's Captain Syverson." he informed her, extending his hand.

Miller shook his hand, his grip firm and inviting. She had been too wired by fear and embarrassment until now to notice the southern drawl he had to his voice. 

"Under normal circumstances, I'd probably let you stew in your quarters for the rest of the day. However, there is a gathering in the food hall this evening. A goodbye of sorts for Captain Coetzee. Your presence is required, so I came to escort you." he explained, gesturing with his hand for you to follow him as he turned towards the door. 

Taking a deep breath, Miller followed after him, unsure of whether to speak or not. The silence that kept falling between the two of them was not necessarily uncomfortable, yet she couldn't read if Syverson even wanted her to make the effort to speak. 

They paced toward the food hall, the only sound their footsteps echoing between the walls.

Without meaning to, Miller let her eyes wander as Syverson walked in front of her. His broad frame was impressive- intimidating even, as she thought of him towering over her. Everything about him just oozed the word strong. She thought back to his grip on her hand, authoritative and assertive. She couldn't help but think of those hands tugging at her hair...

 _Get your mind out of the gutter Beth,_ she cursed herself. Watts had been right when she'd told her she would regret no longer having a sexual outlet. Syverson was an impossibly attractive man, rough and ready in a way that she liked. 

Before her mind could get too ahead of itself, they reached the hall and Syverson held the door open for her to pass through. She nodded a thank you in his direction.

"Best behaviour, Miller" he shouted after her as she headed towards the table that she had spotted Watts and Hughes sitting at.

°°°°°°

"Miller! You're still alive!" Hughes beamed at her as she approached their table, coming to his feet to grip her into a bear hug, squeezing tightly.

"Only... just" she croaked, her voice strained as she was crushed against his chest, giving him a warm smile as his grip on her eased and he set her back on her feet. 

Looking over her shoulder towards the door she noticed Syverson gazing in her direction. Their eyes met for a very brief moment before he pulled away his glare and walked towards the edge of the room to take a seat at the largest table. Captain Coetzee was seated beside him, along with a few other higher ranked members of the squad. 

"That man really does not like me" she muttered under her breath. Taking a seat she gave Watts and exasperated smile, who returned it with a sympathetic, knowing look.

There was an assortment of drinks and food on the table; clearly the inventory had been planning for this and suddenly the bland disgusting meals of the last three weeks made sense.

Hughes cracked open a beer and handed it to Miller. "Here, you look like you need it" he laughed, shovelling chips into his mouth.

"Honestly, between dealing with Donovan and Syverson, I need about fucking ten" she said, taking a deep sip of the beverage. "Thanks for trying to cover for my sorry ass by the way" she said with a chuckle, slapping Hughes on the shoulder with the back of her hand, another gulp of her drink sliding down her throat. 

Her thoughts drifted to the members of her squad who must have pulled the short straw to be on duty tonight, patrolling the base. Honestly, she was surprised Syverson hadn't punished her further by putting her out there with them. 

She glanced over to the table he was sat at, where him and his colleagues were engaging in a game of poker. He was hard faced, eyes focused on his cards. As if he knew she was looking at him, his eyes flicked above his cards to connect with hers. His face didn't change at first, holding her gaze, daggers boring into her. 

He shifted in his seat, a smirk forming at his mouth before he cut off their connection and laid his cards out on the table, resulting in a number of groans and _"oh fuck you"_ s from the men around his table. Some of them stood up and left their seats, switching positions with other soldiers who were gathered round observing the game. Between the bodies flitting in and out around him, Syverson reconnected his stare with Miller, still wearing that same smirk on his face. 

A tap on her left shoulder brought her out of her unspoken battle with Syverson, causing her to turn back to her friends.

"Did you hear me?" Hughes asked her, his arm held out indicating the need for a response.

Miller stirred in her seat uncomfortably, feeling eyes still gnawing into the back of her skull. "Yeah, of course" she said, hoping her response held up correctly to the conversation she was unknowingly a part of.

Watts and Hughes each let out loud laughs, heads thrown back before composing themselves. 

"You really did not hear a fucking word I said, did you, Miller?" Hughes questioned in a way that made it more of a statement, heat immediately rushing to her cheeks resulting in them turning a light shade of pink.

"Oh fuck what did I just agree to?" she moaned, hanging her head in her hands. 

Hughes leaned closer, gripping the back of Miller's chair for support as his lips lowered to her ear. "I said, are you gonna go fuck Syverson as hard as you're both fucking each other with your eyes right now?" he repeated slowly and purposefully, Watts giggling behind her drink as she watched the life drain from Miller's face.

"Shut up- **_both_** of you!" Miller groaned, jabbing a finger at Watts while pushing Hughes away from her as he began to laugh with vigour once again.

"Hey, we wouldn't blame you!" he sympathised, holding his hands up in defence.

Miller groaned again, pulling her hands down her face as if to wipe away the mortified feeling that washed over her entire body. She reached for her drink, holding it at her lips and pointing her free hand back and forth between her two friends. "You two. Are fucking terrible." she scolded, tipping her head back to finish the contents of her beer before standing up. 

"Where's the rest of the beer. I wasn’t kidding when I said I'm going to need ten.” 

Miller shoved herself out of her seat, heading to what was usually the serving station of the food hall. Today its purpose served nothing but a vault of alcohol and disposable cups, along with an assortment of chips, nuts and fruit. A small and tattered radio sat on the shiny work surface, softly playing nothing but crackled interference with the occasional blip of music making its way through. 

Hard footsteps sounded behind her as she poured herself a drink, her eyes fleeting back into her skull as she rolled them with intent, tossing her options up as to whether it was Private Heartbroken or Captain Testosterone coming to inflict misery. 

Turning around with one arm crossed over her chest and the other one holding her cup to her lips, she scowled as she realised it was Donovan yet again not leaving her the hell alone. "What now, D?" she spat, not bothering to keep the viciousness out of her tone. She was done sparing his feelings. Over his shoulder she could see Hughes, his smile drained from his face and clouded with concern in its place. 

"Look, Beth, we really gotta talk about this. Can I come see you tonight?" he asked, looking like a lost puppy. 

"Donovan there's nothing to talk about, stop making this more than it is" Miller raised her voice a little too loudly, causing Hughes to raise from his chair and sneak over as quickly as he could.

"Guys this isn’t the time or the fucking place” he hissed. “D, just leave her alone man, come on" he pleaded pulling him back by his left shoulder, immediately having his hand swatted away by Donovan. 

"Stay the hell out of it, Hughes its nothing to do with you-"

"Donovan, this is the second time in the space of an hour I've seen you caught up in a domestic. Does someone want to enlighten me as to what the problem is here?" Captain Syverson interrupted, having stalked into the situation silently, unnoticed by the three of them.

Miller's heart rate sped up immediately, she was almost certain it was audible. She didn’t know whether it was a result of having him so close to her after their intense stare off, or the fact that he was now involved in a spat between her and her former fuck buddy- a punishable offence.

"Captain Syverson, sir. Nothing's going on, I'm just trying to talk to Beth- **_Miller_** , sorry- in peace but we keep being interrupted" he spat his last word in Hughes' direction, gaining an immediate eye roll from both Miller and Hughes. 

Syverson looked at Miller for some kind of reaction but all he could notice was the way her face flushed when their eyes met again. 

"Miller, what's your take?" he asked, frustrated by the situation and lack of answers. 

"If I may speak freely, Captain?" she checked, earning a nod in response. "I'm tired and this _riveting_ party isn’t doing much to help it, nor is the company" she jabbed her eyes towards Donovan, who shook his head in disbelief. "Permission to return to my quarters?" she asked, setting her drink back down on the work surface.

After a few moments of deliberation, Syverson waved his hand dismissing her, before he moved to square up to Donovan.

As she walked away, she didn't hear what was said, the rush of blood in her head made her ears pound as she quietly stalked out of the hall. Upon exiting the door, she closed it softly before throwing her back against the wall and sinking to her feet, her hands coming up to cradle her head as she let out a long, exhausted sigh. 

For a few moments she sat there, letting the excess blood drain from her face while her heightened state subsided, her anger and anxiety slowly fleeting. Standing to her feet again she walked back to her quarters, kicking stray pebbles in the sand to keep her mind focused on anything but the day’s events. 

°°°°°

As she reached the door of her bunk, she heard the echoing of footsteps jogging slowly in her direction. She turned towards the noise, her body tensing up in anticipation before Syverson's large frame appeared in her view. 

"Miller" he greeted, exhaling sharply as he regained his breath, quicker than she would have been able to do so. 

"Everything okay, Captain?" she asked, concern coating her voice, her brows raised, creating a soft crease in her forehead.

"Well, to be honest that was the question I had for you. Do I need to be concerned about Private Donovan? If he's hassling you, I can put a stop to it, but you need to tell me." he asserted his concern in a manner that sent a pang of nerves through her stomach, her knees almost weakening. 

"Captain, I assure you I'm fine" Miller reassured, but her voice wavering let her guard slip.

Syverson's forehead creased, his fist balling at his side involuntarily. He opened his mouth to respond but quickly shut it when Donovan's voice startled them both from down the hallway, though he was still out of sight. Without thinking, Syverson grabbed Miller by the arm and opened the closet door that stood 2 doors adjacent to her bunk, stepping sideways whilst pulling her inside with him before quickly closing the door. 

Miller looked up at him, her face startled, eyes full of questions. Syverson pulled a finger to his lips, his own eyes stern before he moved his finger towards her mouth to instruct her to be quiet. She nodded slowly, before he pulled his hand away from her face and brought it back to her arm as he held her in place, forcing her to stay still as he listened to the scene unfolding outside. The closest was barley big enough for the both of them, the only other things harbouring in it were a mop and a ladder. Their bodies were forced tightly against each other, his warm breath hitting her forehead in sharp bursts as he continued to listen.

"Beth!" Donovan's voice sounded from her bunk doorway. Syverson's eyes scanned Miller's face as she looked at the door in the direction of his voice. She looked irritated but also something about her expression spoke fear. "Beth are you in here?" his voice became muffled as he seemingly stepped into her room, making it harder to hear. 

Miller shifted in her Captains grip, the small space becoming uncomfortable. The pit of her stomach brushed along his waist band, their thighs pressing together, earning a low, breathy grunt from Syverson. Her eyes snapped up to his, but he avoided looking at her, his eyes instead boring into the wall behind her head. His mouth pressed into a hard line as his body betrayed him, a hard bulge forming at the crotch of his trousers, him knowing that the woman pressed up against him could feel every inch of it. A low rumble formed in his chest, only just audible. 

Miller let out a small gasp as a rush of heat flooded to her pants, the beginnings of arousal forming against her will. She looked away, them both clearly as embarrassed as the other at the lack of control. Her senses began to heighten, every breath she took now engulfed with the scent of Syverson, undertones of dirt and sweat beneath compelling notes of rosewood. If anything it only added to her elated state. 

"Beth for fuck sake, please!" Donovan's voice pleaded from outside. "I can’t take this B, I can't fucking help it. I think- I think I'm in love with you" he confessed, unknowingly to thin air. 

Both Syverson and Miller stiffened at his words, their eyes finally meeting. Miller's olive green eyes were wide with horror, feeling her soul leave her body. Syverson couldn't help but form a smug smile. Something about knowing there was a man out there confessing his love for the girl he had pinned against his throbbing erection turned him on even more, causing his hardened cock to twitch. Of course, Miller felt it, looking at him questioningly to which he responded with a shrug. 

Miller was struggling to keep her breath steady, Syverson in return looked physically tortured. 

Footsteps sounded outside the closet door as Donovan left Miller's room, muttering under his breath as he passed them. " _She's not even fucking here"_. His footsteps faded slowly as he made his way back to the food hall. 

Though it had been a few minutes since Donovan left, neither Miller or Syverson made any sign of moving. Instead they stood, eyes locked. It wasn't necessarily awkward, just impossible to know where they went from here.

The raising temperature from their laboured breathing was what caused Syverson to eventually straighten up, releasing his grip on her arms. He cleared his throat, reaching for the handle of the closet door, softly opening it for her. He didn't say a word, just gestured with a wave of his hand for her to exit, following behind her. 

"Goodnight, Private. I hope you feel better rested tomorrow." he said, devoid of all expression and eye contact, before walking back to the food hall. Miller stared after him, watching as his hand came up to rub the back of his cropped hair, audibly sighing as he slowly moved out of view.

Realising she hadn't been breathing for a moment too long, she exhaled sharply and rushed to her bunk. 

_What the fuck have you got yourself into Bethany Miller?_


End file.
